A Pirate's Desire
by condesce
Summary: If you really love something, you have to set it free. / AU Pirate!ArthurxMerman!Alfred.
1. Chapter 1

Captain Arthur Kirkland- one of the most ruthless and most feared pirates of the Seven Seas- was known for his love of magic.

This could include anything; the actual power of magic had him intrigued, the way of which something could be implied as magic, and being of which magic is a powerful feature of their existence. In fact, the 'beings' mentioned just now were Mr. Kirkland's object of fascination; the fairies he claims to see and the damn unicorn his crew were sick of him mentioning.

However, being a pirate captain, one would think him a little strange to not think of one of the oceans most well known mythical being. One would think him a little strange if he believed in the fairies and the unicorn, but not of merfolk.

Merfolk: half human, half fish, being which lure sailors to their untimely death with their breathtaking beauty and incredible song.

Arthur had of course heard about them. He was very fascinated, and for a long time he had wanted to meet one, but with all his years on the sea, he has not.

Arthur's fascination soon turned into an obsession. He once thought he could meet one by chance, but when he realised that this simply would not be, he changed his tactic and instead searched for them. His crew were worried. They knew of the merfolk and they knew exactly what they were famous for. Time and time again they tried to convince their young captain that this was a mistake that could surely get them all killed. Arthur didn't listen. This wasn't unusual. When the Englishman had his heart set on something, he would not stop until he got it.

This was no different.

Soon the crew gave up and let Mr. Kirkland go about his quest. They believed that he could be searching for years, but he would not find a single thing. They heard stories, and stories were all they will ever be. Stories of sailors being tricked by the merperson in question, ships being sunk because of that particular person's stupidity. They were unlucky in the British Isles, and the crew didn't understand why their captain would search for something with a reputation of being such a bad omen. The stories say that merfolk lure men to their death, others say that the merfolk 'accidentally' drown men in an attempt to rescue them. However stories of the former outnumber stories of the latter, therefore the former was the story in which men believed in the most.

Captain Arthur Kirkland simply didn't care.

He wanted a merperson and he would get one. He had so many questions he wanted to ask. He studied books at night and the curiosity sparkled in his eyes. He was so determined.

There were places mentioned in stories and books in which merpeople have been sighted, but Arthur had travelled to all these places but found nothing. Not a single bit of evidence that the creatures he was searching for had been there.

But one day, he had to blink and stare for a moment before his mind could truly comprehend what he was seeing.

He had docked at a small town to gather supplies for his ship and he was taking a stroll down the beach when he saw him.

He sat on a rock by the cliff-face with his back to the shore. From where Arthur was standing he could see that finally..._finally_ after months and months of searching, he had finally found what he was looking for.

The being was breathtaking even if the Englishman couldn't see his face. His body was slim but muscular; it had to be as he swam all day, and his hair was the colour of the sun. Arthur's eyes trailed down the merman's body and noticed that at his waist the sun-kissed skin started to change to a blue colour and become to what looked like a smooth texture. His fin at the end of his tail seemed to feather out as it wrapped around the rock he was perched upon.

Arthur found himself walking towards the creature, his heart pounding in his ears. His boots sloshed noisily at the waters edge as he took a closer look. The being turned to face him and Arthur was met with the bluest eyes he had ever seen in his life. They shone with curiosity and held no fear. He shifted his position so he was now facing the pirate. Arthur waded into the water and stopped when he was knee length. He stared at the creature and the creature stared back, blond head tilted slightly to the left, not saying a single word. It was Arthur who made the first move.

"Do you speak?"

The creature regarded him now with slight uncertainty and watched him as he waded a little closer. Arthur kept his expression calm and collected, although inside he was very much... as they say, freaking out.

The merman rubbed the back of his head and smiled at him. Arthur was dazed by the smile.

"Yeah, I speak," the merman replied and moved his tail in one fluid motion to splash water over his body. Arthur smiled; the being had a strange accent.

"May I ask for your name?"

"Alfred, sir. And yours?"

The merman seemed more confident now. He smile showed this and his eyes were warm. Arthur honestly thought that his eyes could rival even the brightest sapphires in the entire world.

Arthur ignored his question for a moment then asked, "Just Alfred?"

"Just Alfred, yeah," he replied with a wider smile.

Arthur nodded and then answered his question, "My name is Arthur Kirkland."

"It's nice to meet you!" the merman said enthusiastically and eyed his attire, "Are you someone important. Your coat looks fancy."

"I'm a captain of a ship," Arthur replied and offered him a small smile. He managed to keep the temptation out of his eyes. He had to get Alfred to trust him.

Alfred seemed oblivious. He was too enthused by the fact that he had never seen a human this close before. His family had always warned him against humans but he was always going to be curious. That's just how he was.

"I've never talked to a human before!" Alfred declared with a wide smile. Arthur walked a little closer until he was now waist deep. He reached the rock and climbed upon it. Alfred looked a little nervous again at being so close to him, but his fear soon melted into interest as he noticed Arthur's extravagant hat and coat up close. He reached up and took Arthur's hat from his head and put it on his own. He giggled childishly and his hand reached up to the large feather. Arthur noticed his hands were slightly webbed. Alfred's mouth formed an 'o' shape when his hand touched the soft feather.

"It feels funny!" he giggled again and continued to play with the feather. Arthur smiled and his plan seemed to be working. Alfred was trusting him perhaps a little too much.

The merman left the feather alone and noticed Arthur's rings. He grabbed the man's hand and held it close to his face, "Oooh... I've seen jewellery before but these are cool!"

"Thank you..." Arthur said and took his hand back. Alfred shifted closer and moved his tail underneath Arthur's foot and lifted it up. The pirate blinked and watched Alfred's blue eyes narrow. He looked at him and asked, "Why do you need shoes?"

"They protect one's feet from the ground," Arthur informed. He removed his boot and showed Alfred the bottom of it, "See. With this the skin won't get damaged."

Alfred went to grab the boot but Arthur held it away, "This is something I cannot allow you to keep."

Alfred pouted slightly but nodded anyway. Arthur put his boot back on and looked over at him, "You're very curious."

Alfred beamed, "Yeah! Like I said, I've never talked to a human before."

"I remember you mentioning that fact," he replied and Alfred nodded.

"I have questions!" Alfred said excitedly. Arthur raised his eyebrow. This would be too easy.

"Oh, you do?" he asked and Alfred nodded again, "Well, why don't you accompany me to my ship, and we can talk?"

"Um..." Alfred looked uncomfortable, "Should we talk here? It'll be easier..."

"I am afraid I cannot do that. Forgive me Alfred."

Alfred opened his mouth to protest, however the butt of Arthur's gun making contact with his temple rendered him unable to do so.

* * *

><p>Alfred woke up with a pounding headache. He stretched...or he attempted to stretch. He found himself confined. He blinked as the world became clearer, and he noticed he was lying in some kind of long crate type object. The water reached just over half way, and there was nothing Alfred could do but just sit there. He then noticed he was in some kind of room. He looked around and thought perhaps he was on a ship. There was a bed in the corner of the room and a desk against the wall. From what he could see, it was littered with what looked like maps and letters.<p>

"I see you've woken up. Again, I do ask that you forgive me. See, I've been searching for someone like you for a very long time."

Alfred turned his head towards the door and there stood the man he had put his complete trust into. He narrowed his eyes. His family were right; humans shouldn't be trusted.

"Why did you hit me?" he asked sounding betrayed. Arthur shut the door behind him and took a seat at his desk. He kicked his feet up on the desk and grabbed a bottle that sat upon the top of it. He removed the cork with his teeth, spit it out and took a long drink. He wiped his mouth and smirked a little.

"You wouldn't have come willingly, would you? You proved that to me."

Alfred blinked, "Why couldn't we have talked on the rock? I said I had questions but..."

Arthur shrugged, "I am a busy man, lad. I have places to rob and people to kill."

Alfred looked mortified. Would he have to sit here helpless? Would he have to endure the madness of this man? He could do nothing to stop it.

Alfred looked down and played with his hands. He felt completely useless. He was a prisoner to this man and there nothing he could do about it. The best he could do was roll and drag himself out of the room, but he knew that it would all be a failure.

Arthur turned his attention on his captive and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Alfred ignored him.

"What do you eat?"

Alfred ignored him again. Arthur sighed.

"Very well. Perhaps I should let you starve. Or perhaps I should tie you to the mast and leave you to dry out in the sun. It is your choice. You either cooperate with me, Alfred, or you die."

"I eat fish..."

Arthur let an amused smirk slip upon his lips, "Fish, even though you are part fish yourself? How ironic..."

Alfred sent him a glare then looked down again. Arthur laughed and moved his feet from his desk. He walked towards Alfred and took his face in his hands. Alfred attempted to move his head away but Arthur held him firm.

"I have questions for you too. I shall bring you your fish, then we shall talk tonight," he patted the merman's head lightly then left the room. Alfred crossed his arms over his chest and sulked.

Arthur walked out onto the deck and ordered the crew to release the fishing nets. His crew had been shocked when Arthur demanded help from them earlier that day. He had led them to the shore and they stared in shock at the unconscious merman at the waters edge. Not denying their captain, they helped him put Alfred in the boat and take him back to the ship.

The fishing nets caught a few fish after a while and Arthur ordered they be kept in barrels for when Alfred needed them. He walked back to his cabin and poked his head around the door.

"So sorry to interrupt, but how would you like your fish? Cooked or raw?"

Alfred glared at him, "Well I eat them raw... I can't exactly cook underwater."

Arthur smirked, "Very well. However, would you like to try it cooked?"

"Whatever."

Arthur just nodded and left the room again. Alfred pouted and held back his tears. He looked out the window and noticed that the sun was setting. His brother would be missing him by now and would be searching for him. Just imagining Matthew's worried face caused a pain in his chest.

He knew his heart just cracked in two.

Arthur returned half an hour later with a plate of cooked fish. He handed the plate to Alfred and the merman, though he didn't want to show how hungry he was, ate the fish quickly. Arthur watched him in amusement. He was always amused, Alfred noted.

The merman soon finished and held the plate out for Arthur to take. The pirate took it from him and set it on the desk.

"I want to talk to you now," Arthur said and moved his chair closer to Alfred.

"Talk to me about what?"

"About you," Arthur replied. Alfred watched him with guarded eyes and the pirate continued, "I want to know about you."

"What do you want to know about me?"

"I'll tell you what we'll do. I'll ask you a question, you will answer it. Then, you can ask me a question, and I will answer with truth. The cycle will continue until I grow bored, or it gets too late, or we run out of things to ask. Then, it will continue the next day, and so on and so forth. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir..." Alfred mumbled.

"Excellent. So tell me, where exactly do you live?"

"In an underwater cave sir..."

"Interesting. How do-"

"Excuse me, sir..." Alfred grinned at him, "I believe it's my turn to ask."

Arthur blinked then he realised the boy was right, "Indeed. Carry on."

"Who are you really?"

"You know that. My name is Captain Arthur Kirkland."

"I meant... your position."

"I think you already know," he smirked.

"Pirate..."

"Correct. Now then, I believe it is my turn. How do you breathe underwater?"

Alfred shifted a little and moved his head to the side. There on his neck, were three small slits that he opened briefly to show the other man then he closed them again. He moved back to his original position and said, "We have gills. We breathe just like a fish."

Arthur nodded, now fully interested.

"Where am I?"

"You are on my ship; The Britannia. How do you communicate underwater?"

"We have our own language, just like you. Where are you from?"

"London, England... Great Britain."

"I know where it is."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen. How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

Alfred snorted, "You're old."

The pirate flushed, "You git! I am not old! Take that back!"

"No way! You're so old it's hilarious."

"You wanker! I hate you," Arthur had always been sensitive about his age.

"No you don't," he smiled mischievously, "How long have you been a pirate?"

"Since I was sixteen, though I have been captain for three years. Do you have any family?"

Alfred froze and his eyes turned sad. He looked down and managed a small nod, "Yeah... I have a brother named Matthew. He's probably worried about me."

"I'm sure he is," Arthur said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Alfred shot yet another glare at the captain then asked his question, "Do you? Do you have any family?"

"Aye. I have a younger brother. He is my cabin boy."

"Can I meet him?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

The conversation continued for hours. Alfred, though not happy with his situation, talked to Arthur like he did on the rock earlier that day. Arthur showed him things in his cabin; his quill pen, his telescope, some jewellery, his sword and gun though he wouldn't let Alfred touch them. He wasn't stupid.

Midnight soon approached and Alfred fell asleep. Arthur decided it was also time to get some rest so he changed for bed and also fell asleep, satisfied that all these months of searching had finally paid off.

* * *

><p>Weeks had passed and Alfred was still confined to the ship. His new favourite thing to do was annoy Arthur like there was no tomorrow. It was the only way he could make his situation more bearable.<p>

Arthur, however, started seeing changes in Alfred- and it wasn't just the teasing. The boy had stopped squirming and would just lie there all day every day. They always refilled his water every single day with out fail, but Alfred seemed noticeably weaker.

The crew were worried.

"He's going to die..." Arthur's first mate said looking concerned, "He doesn't look too well and he's getting thinner. He's wasting away just sitting there."

Arthur had noticed this too. Alfred's well defined muscles were starting to disappear with the lack of exercise. The captain was starting to think that perhaps capturing him for this long wasn't such a good idea.

Alfred would sleep a lot during the day too. Arthur thought that maybe it was because he was saving his energy, or perhaps he didn't have the strength to stay awake for as long anymore.

However, despite Alfred's suspected health problems, the two had become very close. Alfred had told Arthur all there was to know about his life under the sea, and Arthur had told him everything about the human world. The two exchanged stories, both real and make believe. Alfred was fascinated with Arthur's stories of heroes and he had declared happily that it was his job to save people, even though sometimes he didn't always succeed.

It looked like those stories were true after all.

One night when the moon was full, Alfred felt himself being moved. He blinked back sleep and stared groggily at the man who was carrying him.

"What are you...?"

"Hush," Arthur stated and walked out on deck. He adjusted the merman in his arms and walked straight to the plank. Alfred looked at the sea beneath the ship and his eyes widened.

Was he... was he releasing him?

Alfred gripped Arthur's white shirt as the pirate walked along the plank with perfect balance. A few moments later, Alfred was seated comfortably on the other's lap. Arms were wrapped around his waist to keep him there and Alfred sent another longing glance at the water.

"I am sorry..."

Alfred looked up at Arthur, who was looking out to the distance.

"You should be. That thing wasn't comfortable..." Alfred said weakly and offered him a small smile.

Arthur returned the smile but only slightly, "I was so very wrong to keep you like that. My want to know about you got the better of me and I did all I could to make sure that I found out everything. And not just everything about you as a species, everything about you... your personality, what you like and dislike... everything. I succeeded, but I realise I gained my success in the wrong way. I shouldn't have kept you captive. We should have just talked on the rock like you suggested, but..."

"I understand..." Alfred said and shifted a little so he could sit straighter, "If I could, I'd probably do the same to you."

Arthur gave him a strange look and the merman shrugged, "So I lied. Big deal."

The pirate laughed a little, "I will miss you."

"I will miss you too..." Alfred found himself admitting, "I liked talking to you...a lot. You're really interesting..."

"Will I ever see you again?"

Alfred paused, "I don't know..."

"In that case..." he slipped off one of his rings and put it on Alfred's finger. The ring was pure gold and sat upon it was an emerald. _The same colour as Arthur's eyes,_ Alfred thought.

"Keep that as a memory of me," Arthur said with a sad smile. He admitted to himself a long time ago that he had fallen hopelessly in love with this merman.

Alfred smiled, "Thank you..." he admired the ring and glanced down at the water again. Arthur slowly removed his arms from around Alfred's waist, leaving him to jump into the water at any time.

Alfred didn't move.

He shifted again then lifted his head a little so he could look Arthur in the eyes. He knew this pirate was different to the other humans. He didn't know why, he just had a feeling, and his heroic feelings were never wrong.

He couldn't help but smile at Arthur's curious expression, "I just wanna do something before I go."

Arthur sat in silence and waited. Alfred leaned in and lightly pressed their lips together. Arthur's eyes widened in shock and Alfred moved one hand to cup his cheek. He smelt and tasted heavily of salt and fish, yet there was another scent to him that Arthur couldn't place. It was a rather pleasant scent. Alfred's oceanic blue eyes were half closed and Arthur found himself relaxing and kissing him back. Their lips moved together perfectly and neither one of them wanted to pull away.

The kiss was sweet and lasted for as long as Alfred could hold his breath for. He pulled away first and a small blush spread across his cheeks.

"I know what you must be thinking. I kissed you, doesn't that mean I'm gunna kill you now? No. I'm not. I like you a lot and I don't wanna see you dead."

Arthur was confused. He knew he loved Alfred, but the merman just kissed him. Did that mean...?

Alfred moved so he was perched on the edge of Arthur's lap. He turned to look at the pirate and smiled, "It was very nice to meet you Arthur."

"You too, lad. You too..."

Alfred offered him another smile, "Goodbye..." he pushed himself off his lap and landed in the water with a splash. Arthur watched him go, and looked at the water until the ripples had faded and the sea was calm again.

He looked out into the distance again.

"Goodbye Alfred."

* * *

><p>Three months had passed and Arthur still found he missed Alfred.<p>

The pirate had long since moved Alfred's temporary home out of his cabin and back into the cellar.

It was early evening and the Englishman stood by the railings looking out at the horizon. The sunset was particularly beautiful that night.

He didn't know what made him look, but he turned to his right to see a sunny blond head pop up from the water. Emeralds met sapphire and he blinked a few times, unable to comprehend.

The head didn't move. It sat there and waited. It waited for Arthur to come to it.

Arthur just realised this, and ran to the boats. He jumped inside and fumbled with the ropes for a moment before managing to move himself down. He grabbed the ores and rowed his way over to where the head had appeared.

A few minutes later, the head popped up again, followed by arms as the merman leaned on the side of the boat. Arthur was in total shock.

"Alfred..."

The merman just beamed at him. Arthur noticed the boy still wore his ring.

"You came back..."

Alfred nodded, "Yep! Surprised to see me? Though, I guess you are seeing as you look like you're having a heart attack. You really are old!"

Arthur ignored the statement and asked, "Why?"

Alfred smiled his brilliant smile. His smile could light up even the darkest of places.

"Because I love you, stupid!"

* * *

><p>AN: I'm thinking of writing a sequal? Should I? :)


	2. Chapter 2

It was late afternoon when he found out.

"So, he finally did it?" the pirate captain asked his first mate with a small smirk.

"Aye, captain. From what we've heard, it took a while."

The captain considered this, "Well, I never believed him... but now I find myself curious..."

"Captain?"

"Any news on where his ship is?"

The first mate thought for a second then replied, "Last I heard they were coming from Tortuga, sir."

He smiled, "Well then, I think it's time we paid him a visit, oui?"

* * *

><p>Arthur never really knew when Alfred would visit him. It could be any time throughout the day, or even during the evening. However, their meeting point was always the same.<p>

Alfred would appear whenever the ship anchored up for whatever reason, and he would wait at a certain distance. Arthur would hop into a boat and row over to where Alfred was waiting for him, they would greet each other with a light kiss, and then they would talk.

They would talk about anything that came to mind. Alfred spoke a lot about his brother Matthew, who was too shy to come and meet Arthur. He wasn't very trusting of humans, no matter how much Alfred told him everything would be alright. Also, Matthew was still a little bitter about Arthur keeping Alfred captive for all that time. Arthur didn't blame him.

"He'll come when he's ready."

Alfred puffed his cheeks, "But I really want him to meet you! He's just being stupid."

"Can you really blame him?"

Alfred's blue eyes narrowed as he continued to pout at him. Arthur just raised a thick eyebrow, unaffected by this. He had a younger brother who pulled that one on him all the time, so he'd grown immune to such behaviour.

"Really Alfred, can you blame him? Would you feel the same if it were him instead of you?"

"Of course I would! He's my brother! I'd hate anyone who hurt him!" Arthur said nothing and it dawned on the young merman, "Oh..."

"See, he's probably feeling the same way you are right now."

"Yeah, I guess. Whatever, he'll come and see you eventually! Besides, I don't wanna talk about him anymore, I wanna—"

"Talk about yourself, as usual?" Arthur smirked when he saw Alfred's cheeks turn pink.

"Nooo! That's not what I was gunna say!" Alfred said with a roll of his eyes. Arthur just looked amused, but then looked surprised when Alfred hauled himself up onto Arthur's boat. He beamed at him and said, "I found something and I want you to have it."

Arthur blushed, "What have I told you about giving me things?"

"Yeah well, you gave me your ring and I've been looking for something to give to you in return. It's only fair, right?"

Arthur sighed. He really didn't want anything in return but when he said nothing else in response, Alfred took that as his cue to reveal what he'd brought. He blushed a little, "I wanted to find something as cool as your ring, but... it's kinda hard. So when I was swimming around earlier I found this..." he opened the hand Arthur didn't even realise was clenched shut and revealed a large pearl. Arthur had seen pearls before, but none quite like this.

"I know it's not that great..." Alfred blushed again, "But it's the best I could do..."

Arthur took it from him and held it up to the light to inspect it. The sunlight bounced from the pearl's surface giving it a mysterious sheen. Arthur knew straight away that this particular pearl was special... yes; partly that reason was because Alfred gave it to him...

"I love it," he said with a small smile. Alfred's cheeks turned a darker shade of red at that and he glanced at him.

"Really?"

"Yes really," Arthur assured and pecked his lips. Alfred slipped his arms around his neck and made him hold the kiss longer. Arthur smiled into the kiss and deepened it slightly before pulling away.

Alfred smiled at him, "I'm glad you like it."

The pirate returned the smile and put the pearl into his pocket. For some reason he felt like it shouldn't belong anywhere else.

Alfred looked up at the position of the sun and sighed, "Arthur... I have to go now."

"Ah... all right. I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked and picked up the ores. Alfred nodded excitedly and pushed himself off the boat. He leaned against the side and smiled up at Arthur.

"Gimme a kiss before I go!"

"You git, you've just had one!"

Alfred pouted at him for a while and the Englishman finally gave up. He leaned down and pressed his lips softly against the merman's. Alfred gave a small hum of approval as he kissed back. He didn't hold it for long and he swam away. Arthur sat up straight and watched his lover retreat.

"Bye Arthur, I'll be back tomorrow!" Alfred raised his hand in an enthusiastic wave then ducked under the water.

Arthur smiled at him and rowed back to his ship. He couldn't wait until tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Arthur waited all day and there was no sign of Alfred. He pursed his lips and wondered what was keeping the boy. Yes, he knew that the merman didn't have a reputation for excellent time keeping; however he was later than usual.<p>

Arthur paced along the deck, glancing over the side of the ship now and then in hope of seeing that bright blond head pop up from the surface and beam at him.

As of yet, he had no such luck.

He started to feel frustrated. He started to panic too. He knew Alfred was curious, so what if he'd encountered another human and they didn't treat him as well as Arthur had. Dread filled Arthur's mind, so much that he didn't notice a blond head pop up from the water.

The creature waited and watched the pirate with guarded eyes. Was this the man Alfred talked about constantly? He waited a little longer and when he realised that the man wasn't going to notice him on his own, he cleared his throat loudly.

Arthur jumped at the sound and noticed the head of blond hair, "Alfred?"

The merman sighed; why did everyone think he was Alfred?

He didn't respond, and Arthur curiously walked to the boat and lowered himself down. He grabbed the ores and rowed towards the being. As he grew closer, he realised that this merman wasn't Alfred. This merman looked similar to his Alfred, however his hair was slightly longer and was wavy, and instead of that stubborn piece of hair Alfred had, this boy had a curl. His eyes were also a different shade too. Arthur rowed towards him and he noticed that the boy backed up a little, looking slightly afraid.

"It's all right..." Arthur coaxed, "I'm not going to hurt you..."

The merman watched him and bit his lip. His cheeks turned a slight pink. He knew this man wouldn't hurt him, however he was still wary.

Arthur stayed where he was. He'd wait for the merman to come to him. He didn't want to scare him away.

Eventually, the merman slowly swam towards him. He didn't come right up to the boat like Alfred would, but he came close enough so Arthur could talk to him.

"Are you Matthew?" he asked, "Alfred talks about you a lot. It's nice to finally meet you."

Matthew blushed then replied quietly, "Yes, I'm Matthew and I know who you are... sir, I have come for your help..."

Arthur blinked, "My help?"

Matthew nodded and he looked tearful, "S-see... Alfred's been captured again..."

"Captured? Where?" Arthur asked suppressing the anger he felt within him.

"Just west from here..." Matthew replied, "I-I didn't know who else to turn to..."

"It's all right," Arthur said in a calm voice, "He was taken by a ship, yes?"

"Y-yes..."

"Did you see its flag?"

Matthew paused and bit his lip. He looked unwilling to tell him the answer.

"Matthew, this is important. What was the flag?"

Matthew spoke the answer Arthur really didn't want to hear.

"French, sir."

* * *

><p>"Let me go!"<p>

"Ah, but mon cher, I cannot do that!"

Alfred glared. Currently the merman was sitting in a large fishing net having gotten caught by accident. He knew it was an accident; the pirate whose ship he was currently on had looked genuinely surprised when he looked amongst the fish to see a frightened merman.

However, he wasn't keen on letting him go. He was extremely fascinated by the creature and wasn't planning on releasing him any time soon.

"Honestly, I did plan on searching for a being such as yourself, but this was not the way I intended," the French pirate stated and stood by the net. He looked up at the merman pulling and tugging at the ropes which imprisoned him. Out of no where, Alfred jumped when he was hit by a wave of cold water. He looked down at the crewman which had soaked him and the pirate captain stated, "We have to keep you hydrated some how."

"Who are you?" Alfred demanded, pulling at the ropes again. Usually he would be able to escape but these ropes were just too thick to break.

"My name is Francis Bonnefoy, and I am captain of this ship. And your name is?"

Alfred glared, not willing to give his name to the man who captured him. Francis shook his head and sighed. He looked over to one of his crew members and the man nodded. He hurried away and a few moments later he came back with a spear type object. Francis took it from him and Alfred's eyes widened. He wouldn't... would he?

"Are you going to cooperate with me?" Francis asked and positioned the head of the harpoon at Alfred's tail. The merman didn't want to take a risk so he nodded. Francis smirked, "It would seem threats work on you," he lowered the harpoon and asked once again, "What is your name?"

"Alfred..."

"Alfred? And tell me, Alfred... have you ever met another human such as myself?"

Alfred hesitated and Francis raised the harpoon again. He nodded quickly at the question, "Yes! I-I have..."

"His name, cher?"

"Arthur..."

Francis' face split into a wide grin, "Ah! So you are the one. My, my, how fortunate. You see, Arthur and I have been rivals for as long as we can remember and you, mon cher, would be the perfect bait, non?"

"Uh..."

Francis waved a hand and shouted orders at his crew. Alfred had no clue what he was saying and he just sat in the net with a small pout on his face.

How on earth was he going to get out of here? Would Arthur realize he'd been captured? How would he find him if he had? Would Matthew realize?

Alfred pouted a little more when he realised he wasn't going to be leaving this ship any time soon.

* * *

><p>"Captain, I can understand your concern but..."<p>

"But what?" Arthur snapped and stood firmly at the wheel of his ship. Said ship was going at full speed as Matthew led the way to where Alfred was being held hostage. Matthew had told him that he and Alfred had a special bond; a bond that allowed one to sense where the other was even if they were miles apart, "If that bastard so much as hurts one hair on that boys head I swear I will drown him myself!"

The first mate backed away and nodded silently. He didn't want to get on the wrong side of Arthur, especially when he had his heart set on something. There wasn't much point anyway; no one could change his mind.

Arthur looked ahead and followed the blond head which belonged to Matthew and he could feel they were getting closer. His heart pounded; if Alfred was truly in danger, he would stop at nothing to help him.

And besides, this gave him a good excuse to blow a few holes in the aforementioned Frenchman's ship...

* * *

><p>Alfred watched the sun set with a sad expression. He loved the sunset. He'd try and watch it every night either with his brother or Arthur. He felt a small pang of guilt in his chest at the thought of Arthur. He promised himself he would not get captured again, and here he was; stuck in some net, on some ship, held hostage by a guy who looked at him like he wanted to do things to him that shouldn't be legal...<p>

He sighed heavily and looked to his right at Francis, who was polishing his sword whilst humming something under his breath. He didn't look up at Alfred, and he hadn't done so for the past half hour. He concentrated fully on his sword and nothing else.

"Hey."

Francis paused and after a few moments he looked up at the imprisoned merman. Alfred pouted.

"Can you let me go?"

"Non... I wish to keep you for a little while longer."

Alfred's pout remained; this was the answer he was used to. He adjusted his position and ran a hand down his tail and frowned. He was starting to get a little dry, so he looked over at Francis again.

"Hey."

Francis visibly twitched a little and he glanced up at him again, "Oui?"

"I'm getting dry."

He sighed and set his sword aside. Standing up, he walked to the other side of the deck and picked up a large bucket. He tied some rope on the handle and threw the bucket over the side of the ship. It captured enough water and Francis slowly pulled the bucket back up. When it was back up, he carried it to Alfred and with a small smirk he threw the water over him.

"There. Is that better mon cher?"

"Kind of."

Francis took that as a yes and set the bucket aside. He continued to clean his sword. Alfred watched him and let out a small puff of air through his nose. This was so boring! He couldn't even tease Francis because the man would take it completely the wrong way and attempt to seduce him like he did last time. Alfred pressed his lips into a thin line and he watched the French pirate with narrowed eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted by the first mate hurrying towards them.

"Captain! There is a ship approaching!"

"And who might it belong to?"

The first mate shifted a little and replied, "I think you know..."

"Ah, so he has come to claim his beloved?" Francis grinned. He stood and put his sword back, "Then let him come."

Alfred gripped on to the rope of the net and watched with wide eyes. Arthur really came for him. He was going to be all right, because Arthur would set him free again. He would help him. Alfred let a small smile cross his lips and for the first time he relaxed in the net. He knew he would be all right.

"Francis!" Ah, that voice. It was so comforting to hear that accented voice. Alfred felt as though it had been years.

The familiar sound of heavy boots reached Alfred's ears and he adjusted to try and looked over his shoulder.

"Where is he you bloody frog?"

Alfred chuckled. Arthur's language choice was so strange.

"Mon cher! How nice of you to join us!" Francis opened his arms wide as though to embrace his rival but he was met with a punch to the face.

Alfred laughed. That was so typically Arthur.

Arthur glared at his rival and shoved him back. He glanced up at Alfred and looked worried for a second, but that was soon replaced with more anger.

"How dare you keep him in such conditions!" he snarled at Francis and shoved him again. Francis backed up and held his hands up in defeat. Arthur only narrowed his eyes.

"Mon cher... I was merely curious. He is a beautiful creature, oui? I only wanted to—"

"Spare me," Arthur snapped, "You wanted to know nothing of him and his species. You just wanted him for your own perverted needs!"

Alfred shivered. He was glad Arthur showed up when he did.

Francis closed his eyes and smirked; a smirk which only angered Arthur further, "Let him go this instant!"

"I cannot do that, cher."

"You will if you want to live," Arthur pulled out his gun and aimed it between Francis' eyes. The other backed up a little more and looked fearful.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, if that's what you want to believe then please do so. But I am deadly serious. If you don't let him go within the next ten seconds I will blow your head apart. Ten... nine..."

"Arthur, wait!"

"Eight..."

"Angleterre!"

"Five!"

"All right!" Francis hurried forward and with a quick swipe of his sword, the rope was cut and Alfred was free. Arthur quickly moved under him and caught him before he hit the hard floor of the deck.

"Arthur!" Alfred beamed and threw his arms around the pirate's neck in a tight hug. Arthur was greeted with the familiar scent of fish and salt and he couldn't help but smile a little. The smile was short lived as his emerald gaze rested on Francis once again.

"You're lucky..." he glared, "You're very lucky. And I am going to warn you right now. If I ever find out you have attempted something such as this ever again, I swear to God I will not hesitate on killing you. Are we at an understanding?"

Francis glared but he kept his mouth shut. Taking that as a yes, Arthur turned his back and walked back to his ship. Over his shoulder, Alfred glared at the man who kept him hostage and stuck his tongue out at him immaturely, then buried his face in Arthur's neck. He knew Francis wasn't stupid enough to attack. He knew he was now safe.

Back on Arthur's ship, the Englishman set him down and cupped his cheeks in his hands and looked into his sapphire eyes with a concerned expression, "Are you all right?"

Feeling the ship move again, he nodded, "Yeah... I am. Thanks Arthur..."

"You needn't thank me, Alfred. It was the least I could do. You mean the world to me."

A small blush dusted Alfred's cheeks as he looked into Arthur's green eyes. He smiled his dazzling smile and took Arthur's hands in his own. He took a breath and his smile faded a little, "You must think I'm stupid... this is the second time I've been captured..."

"It wasn't your fault this time..."

"Neither was the first time."

"...True."

"But you know I'm glad you did what you did. If you hadn't, I wouldn't know you. And if Francis captured me anyway, I'd still be there."

Arthur considered this and a small smile tugged at his lips. He removed one hand from Alfred's and ruffled the boy's hair lightly. He moved a little closer and embraced him. Alfred didn't hesitate to hug him back. The merman took in his scent and asked, "How did you find me?"

"Matthew, of course."

Matthew? Matthew had come to Arthur for help? Alfred smiled; he was glad his brother was able to trust him.

"Now then," Arthur said and scooped him into his arms again. He carried him to the plank like he did the first time he released him. They were now far enough from Francis' ship to be safe, "We'll have plenty of time to talk, but right now your brother is missing you an awful lot."

As though on cue, Matthew popped his head up and smiled slightly up at them both. Alfred could hardly contain his excitement.

"Mattie! Just wait there, I'll be with you in a minute, 'kay?"

"S-sure Al..." he said and stayed where he was. Alfred looked over at Arthur again and smiled.

"Thanks Arthur... I don't know what I'd have done."

"I've told you not to thank me," Arthur stated with a smile of his own. Alfred leaned in and connected their lips. Matthew looked away with a small blush. Arthur kissed him back eagerly and as Alfred wrapped his arms around his neck, he forced himself to pull away.

"Like I said, we'll have time for this later... go and see your brother," he loosened his grip, leaving Alfred to jump into the water whenever he was ready. The merman nodded and with one final peck on Arthur's lips, he smiled and pushed himself from Arthur's arms and into the sea.

Arthur watched as the two brothers embraced tightly and talk to each other in hushed tones. Alfred smiled brightly at Matthew then he looked up at Arthur. His smile widened and he raised his hand to wave at him, then he disappeared under the water. Matthew, however, stayed above the surface and he looked up at Arthur also. He smiled a small smile and mouthed two words to him.

_Thank you._

* * *

><p>AN: A sequel! 8D

I did originally post this seperately but it annoyed me (yeah, I'm weird) so made it a second chapter of this xD


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